Are you in the mood for a quick cache and dash? If so, there are plenty of caches on the Island but this one is not for you!
Are you in the mood for a nice walk, plenty of birds, beautiful scenery and a high chance of getting close to a native red squirrel? Read on!
Alverstone Mead
Alverstone Mead is a nature reserve looked after by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust. The Mead consists of tranquil woodland, wet meadow and wildflower meadows and is a haven for a wide variety of wildlife including rare flowers, dragonflies, butterflies, birds, bats and of course the stunning red squirrel.
The coordinates take you to a bench and short walkway leading to a wildlife hide and in our experience you don't need to wait long before the squirrels come out to see if you have brought any hazelnuts or walnuts for them to nibble on.
If you go to the HIOW Wildlife Trust website, there is a form you can complete to be given the access code for the John Ralph Viewpoint (inner room of the hide).
Access to the Mead
On the map it looks like there is a road leading directly to the coordinates- please note that this is Burnthouse Lane, a bridleway, and unless you have a disabled badge, you must not drive along it to reach the Mead.
Your options are as follows:
Train Station: Sandown (then ~2 mile walk along the pleasant former railway line to Alverstone).
Cycling: Easy cycling to Alverstone but cycling is not permitted on the reserve itself.
Bus stop: Winford, No. 8 Bus (then 22 min walk to Alverstone).
Driving: We have added 2 potential waypoints you could try for parking (please be considerate to other road users, avoid blocking gates/driveways etc).
Feeding the squirrels
Red squirrels love hazelnuts, walnuts and sunflower seeds. Please do not be tempted to feed them anything else as some other nuts and food can be toxic.
The Virtual Tasks
In order to claim this virtual cache, you must complete both tasks below:
1) Look at the bench that has a squirrel and woodpecker carved into it and send us a message stating the two names on the plaque.
2) Post a picture of you (or your GPS or something displaying your caching name) with the hide/Mead/squirrel visible. No spoilers for task 1!
Virtual Rewards 4.0 - 2024-2025
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between January 17, 2024 and January 17, 2025. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 4.0 on the Geocaching Blog.